British holiday homes in Andalucía 'face bulldozer risk'

One British couple are now living in their garage after their home was demolished in 2008

British-owned homes in southern Spain could be at risk of demolition for breaching local planning rules, according to the UK embassy in Madrid.

It estimates there are 4,000 such homes in Andalucía subject to legal disputes.

The Andalucían authorities have so far destroyed three British-owned holiday homes.

The UK Foreign Office said it recognises it as a "substantial problem" and is lobbying the Spanish government over the matter.

It said one British-owned home was destroyed in 2008 and two last year.

One, a hillside villa in Cantoria belonging to John and Jan Brooks, was bulldozed in October.

'Huge social problems'

The retired couple from Taunton, Somerset, had invested £170,000 in what would have been their dream home, said BBC correspondent Tom Burridge.

The local mayor at the time, Pedro Llamas, said he was very sorry but that he only knew the property developer had broken the law "when the police came."

Maura Hillen, who runs Action Almanzora which campaigns on behalf of British people who have lost their homes, said planning laws had been widely ignored during Spain's property boom.

For those involved it's absolutely devastatingWill Middleton, British embassy, Madrid

"Everybody turned a blind eye, including the regional government who are now so sanctimoniously imposing these planning regulations retrospectively," she told the BBC.

"Instead of protecting the landscape, it is creating huge social problems."

Another couple, Stephen and Noel Payne, got a licence to build their property 10 years ago but said they were waiting in fear after local planning regulations were changed and they were issued with a demolition order.

"It's there all the time," Mrs Payne said.

"When are we going to get another letter? When are we going to hear we're in court. The main thing in our mind is 'how long have we got?'"